Over the past few years, the screenwriting competition industry has exploded into a toxic mushroom cloud of snake-oil and false promises. Worse still, screenwriting communities are lapping it all up and turning their aspiring peers into desperate gamblers while sites like FilmFreeWay and CoverFly capitalise on the madness - CJ

Where I find myself right now is straddling both sides of that wall we all face with the amateur scene on one side and the industry world on the other. From this perspective, I have a great vantage point to see what is and isn’t working for screenwriters who want their passion to eventually bring in paycheques. So, after nearly seven years, countless scripts, and endless chit-chat with everyone from first-time writers to long-time producers, here goes - CJ

After reaching the top of the Most Loved Scripts listing on Script Revolution with a massive 37 fans having favourited it and having been featured in the Shootin' The Shorts section of the site, I'm delighted to announce that The...

Shawn Davis has been kind enough to continue documenting his journey into becoming a producer/director. This time round, he shares the trials and tribulations associated with making the jump from producing a five page script to something twenty pages long. He wants to share with us the key part of his process that made things a lot easier on the logistics. On top of that, Shawn also wants to share a couple of fantastic links that just might competely revolutionise your post-production software options for zero cost - CJ

I hope you've all had a fantastic August and all your projects are going smoothly. There's some cool stuff I want you all to be aware of including a change to script listings, highlights for Rockstar members, and a great recent success story. Also, for those who missed out last time, yes, we're going to have another Real Talk With Regina Seminar soon - CJ

So here we are. Tomorrow Script Revolution turns two years old. We have over 3,000 scripts between us to share and 100 new members a month have joined us. On top of all that, 50 members have been kind enough to become Patreon supporters to keep Script Revolution free to everybody. So let's crack on with this month's updates - CJ

I'm going to have to blast through this month's updates as life is a bit chaotic for me at the moment with a new script assignment and a sick cat. There's quite a bit to talk about and ideally I'd go into some more detail - CJ

Hey you, look at you, part of a community of over 2,000 members. Yes, we hit that mark this month. Thanks to Holly Jurbergs for taking us over the 2K barrier. There's not a great deal to tell you in terms of technical changes this month as I've been buried in writing - CJ

Script Revolution continues to be popular as we passed the 2,500 scripts marker this month. The script that broke that number was one taking advantage of the new allowance for episodic content on the site; THE MINUTE MAN EPISODE 2 "THE SOUND OF SIRENS" by Phil Reynolds. There's also been some improvements to how awards are displayed and a new site-wide feedback page to check out - CJ

There's not a great deal to report in terms of features and development this month. What's been done is mostly behind the scenes and has been to help the Shootin' The Shorts team choose the best shorts to feature - CJ

Big congratulations to Wal Freeman for attracting the attention of an actor via Script Revolution and who's now writing them a contained horror short.

Well done to Chris Keaton who recently optioned his short script A Boy's Fear to up-and-coming LA based director Samson Ali.

It's time for another one of Shawn Davis' insightful interviews. This time Shawn poses various screenwriting questions to Brett Martin (aka Electric Dreamer) a longtime and valuable contributor on Simply Scripts. Brett is a great example of a writer raised on movies who didn't believe in themselves at first but has since built a productive and optimistic writing routine. Brett also has a lovely quote to share about being an artist and seeking validation. There's a lot to be learnt from writers like him - CJ

I’ve finally optioned a feature script. It’s taken six years to get to this point and it’s been tough, really tough. How does it feel? It feels amazing. It’s a whole new level of validation. It feels like the start of something rather than living in purgatory. But I don’t want to make this about myself. I know many of you are finding it tough too, so I wanted to put something together explaining how I think I got here and what really matters when it comes to screenwriting - CJ

Big congratulations to Jason for optioning his feature script Welcome to Munson Ridge to London based director/producer and Hollywood Black Film Festival winner Dean Charles after it was discovered on Script Revolution.

Okay, there's some big changes to how posters are being treated on Script Revolution, so some of you may need to take note of what's different. Firstly though, I've been swapping prose for code, making more improvements while a member has optioned a feature script after it was discovered in the database. Plus, Script Revolution is finally starting to gain traction within the media - CJ

That’s a rather arrogant title, isn’t it? Well, I’m not going to beat around the bush here. There’s countless screenwriter booklists out there and a lot of them aren’t even compiled by screenwriters themselves. They are pretty dire and I’ve been cutting my own path with reading for a while now. I want to share the books that I’ve personally learned a lot from and know have worked for me. This is what I believe is the most powerful collection of screenwriting books you can read over the next 12 months - CJ

I want to introduce you all to my friend, Jerry Edmund. Jerry has been there for me from day-one, being the first person to read one of my publicaly shared scripts. A keen writer and reviewer, I have watched Jerry grow and grow over the past five years. He's knocking it out of the park lately too with a recent article over on the Stage 32 Blog. In the one below, Jerry reflects on the art teacher had once had at school at how his...

Well I didn't see this one coming, but after we hit the milestone of 2,000 scripts last month, we hit 1,500 members in Jan. That's awesome and I'm delighted to welcome more of you into the fold. Hugs all round. Our 1,500th member was Guy Murray-Brown from London. Thanks Guy! - CJ

As we move into the new year, you may be feeling a mixture of emotions. Part of you may feel positive and excited for what 2018 may bring and part of you may feel a little bitter that you've not been discovered yet, or perhaps even been noticed at all. You're not alone and John Hunter is here with a timely reminder that we may as well enjoy ourselves on this journey, as futile as it may sometimes feel. He also has a tip for how to start getting some traction - CJ

The biggest news this month has to be the fact we now have over 2,000 scripts uploaded to Script Revolution. Amazing! Shoutout to Christopher Shields who uploaded the 2,000th script, These Guys. This proves the pace Script Revolution is growing that isn't slowing down, it is in fact speeding...

HAPPY FREAKING CHRISTMAS! Script Revolution has now had its 2,000 script uploaded, just a year and half since launch! Amazing! Shoutout to Christopher Shields who uploaded the 2,000th script, These Guys. This proves the pace Script Revolution is growing that isn't slowing down, it is in fact speeding up with over 100 scripts uploaded per month on average. Thank you so much to all the screenwriters and filmmakers who've joined up thus far. We are...

The double edged sword of our new digital world. That's the topic for John Hunter's latest blog and something I imagine we've all had to consider. The barrier has been lowered so we can submit instantly via email, but then it's lowered for everybody and does that make us any better off? I have to admit, sometimes I long to be twenty years younger and ten years wiser, living back in the late nineties when you had to put a lot more legwork into being rejected - CJ

Something strange happened to me this year. My screenwriting life took a shift in a new direction. A producer reached out to me about optioning one of my features and is now working hard to secure the financing needed to green-light the project. This is a strange new world to me and, being the the kind of person who lives in perpetual state of anxiety, one which is filled with inner conflict and paranoia. I should be happy, ecstatic even, and I was for a few weeks before resuming my normal state of melancholy - CJ

I mentioned at the end of September that Steve Miles had optioned his script Forever Red via Script Revolution and the filmmakers were crowdfunding some of the budget. I'm pleased to say they've since reached their 80% goal and, while they still need that last 20%, will be able to...